Ski lifts require a lot of energy to operate. However, for the better part of the year they stand idle, serving no purpose. During this idle time the ski lifts could be put to use in wind energy production. Ski lifts typically run from 500 to 1,000 hours a year. Considering that a year consists of 8,760 hours, their utilization rate stands at a low 10 percent or so.
It is a known fact that ski slopes are relatively windy, making exploitation of wind energy in these areas highly practical. Furthermore, harnessing wind energy on ski slopes is ecologically sound as it offsets their detrimental effect on the landscape.
To date, no solutions have emerged to the high power consumption and off-season inactivity of ski lifts. It should be noted that while aerial lifts, which carry passengers on chairs and in gondolas, find limited use in the summertime and outside of the ski season in general, the simpler surface lifts, which tow skiers and snowboarders uphill, off-season reuse is not an option.
The idea was born during the development of various wind turbine models, when their applicability to ski resorts and ski lifts was considered.